Street & Smith's take on the Commanders

[apickmans]

Fair enough...the point being that whoever it came from, is a professional coach/scout, not a beat writer or whatnot, right?

damn asthma beat me to it.

 

[AsthmaField]

Fair enough...the point being that whoever it came from, is a professional coach/scout, not a beat writer or whatnot, right?

Correct.

 

[Vintage]

What an opposing team's scout or coach says about any team (regardless if its the Commanders or us) is irrelevant. It has no impact on how the season ends.

Which is why no one should really care about any of this stuff to begin with. Its fun to read, but there is no reason to get upset about any of it.

JMO

 

[apickmans]

denial of deadskin suckage.

hahah oh ok, just wondering.

 

[5Stars]

(because hell, it might be right), but untill any NFL team steps out onto the field, it doesnt mean anything.

You make sure you remember what you just said from now on with your next posts concering the Cowboys...OK, Skippy!

 

[apickmans]

What an opposing team's scout or coach says about any team (regardless if its the Commanders or us) is irrelevant. It has no impact on how the season ends.

Which is why no one should really care about any of this stuff to begin with. Its fun to read, but there is no reason to get upset about any of it.

JMO

That is the truth although i do find myself buying these magazines to kill time in the offseason.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

You don't have to have the best of teams to win in the NFL. And the Skins showed with the run that they made at the end of last year. Winning in the NFL is as much attributed to heart and desire as it is skill. You all can read into this article as much as you want(because hell, it might be right), but untill any NFL team steps out onto the field, it doesnt mean anything.

Ill agree that it was alot of heart that got you guys as far as you got last year. The offense didn't even show up for the playoffs. But the team definately looked like a team on a mission last year.

However, if you are counting on your team to get hot, rather htan having the talent to win, you're in trouble.

I think Washington did a decent job adressing needs, but they are getting too excited on guys that are just that, just guys. I've seen Carter play in SF the last few years, and he is good, but nothing amazing. He is not the answer to your problems of getting to the QB. Lloyd is an amazing player at times, but you'll see why SF was willing to let a youngster like him go.

You guys have talent, but ALOT is resting on Brunell playing at his peak for 16 games. He didn't do it last year. And I have a hard time believing he will this year.

But like you said, til they step on the field, nothing's official.

 

[Alexander]

Fair enough...the point being that whoever it came from, is a professional coach/scout, not a beat writer or whatnot, right?

It doesn't matter. I am sure the brainiacs chalk the person up as just another "hater".

 

[Dale]

It's a viewpoint we Cowboy fans have to enjoy reading.

But, remember, I'm sure you could just as easily find an NFL scout/coach who would gush over some of the things they've done.

To me, the "they weren't really a playoff team" comment is crap. How were they not really a playoff team? They not only advanced to the postseason but WON in the first round. They absolutely justified their inclusion in the playoffs.

I found the Al Saunders comment interesting, about how his offense takes two years to start clicking. To me, that's a comment of real substance and not just an undeserved jab.

I'm curious, though, how did Kansas City's offense do in its first year under Saunders? Their overall record wasn't good, but was that just because of the offense's struggles or were there bigger problems?

 

[Renesis]

Most Commanders fans will read the part about "it won't fire up until 2 years", and they'll immediately parade around talking about their 4th Super Bowl in 2008, guaranteed.

This "2 years to fire up" thing is somewhat misleading. In Saunders' first year at KC they had the #4 offense, #5 his second, and then they "fired up" to #2, 1, 1, 1.

During the afformentioned 6-10 season, they also had the #22 ranked defense. So that might have had something to do with it. Followed by awesome seasons of 32, 29, 31, 25, 26.

 

[Gamebreaker]

I read that mag a couple of weeks ago. I was more surprised about the scout/coach comment about the offensive scheme and Brunell then anything else. Regardless, coaches and scouts have been known to be just as wrong as fans. Just not as frequently. Which is why coaches still get fired for not winning games, and scouts get fired for busts in the draft.

 

[the kid 05]

You don't have to have the best of teams to win in the NFL. And the Skins showed with the run that they made at the end of last year. Winning in the NFL is as much attributed to heart and desire as it is skill. You all can read into this article as much as you want(because hell, it might be right), but untill any NFL team steps out onto the field, it doesnt mean anything.

Ok ok...you make a team with people who have heart and desire and ill make a team with the worlds best skills and talent and we will see who would win....wait a min didn't that happen in 1993...1994...1996?

 

[AsthmaField]

Very interesting, thanks! Would love to hear the opposing coach/scout analysis of our Cowboys. Can you provide?

Here ya go. I also started another thread with this info for you WG!

_____________________________________________

I got Street & Smith's Pro Football Yearbook today off of the newsstand and there is an interesting part for each team that is called "View From The Other Sideline". It is where Street and Smith's asks a coach or scout from a rival team what they think about that particular team. I like it because it isn't just some writer's opinion. It's actually what a member of the NFL thinks about the team and their offseason moves and so is probably a lot more likely to be on target. I usually don't put too much stock into what the preseason magazines say... but coming from an opposing team, I think this is pretty credible.

Anyway, here is what the opposing coach or scout said about the Cowboys:

"[Terrell] Owens, [Akin] Ayodele and [Mike] Vanderjagt will help them. They really improved themselves. They replaced Keyshawn Johnson with Owens and more big plays will come out of Owens. The key is [Drew] Bledsoe, who I think can still get it done. Owens will help him and [Terry] Glenn is still a very good deep threat. I don't know if [Kyle] Kosier us an upgrade on the offensive line from Larry Allen, but Allen is probably at the end. They have those young guys, [DeMarcus] Ware and [Chris] Canty and [Marcus] Spears on defense. [La'Roi] Glover wasn't a big loss in a 3-4."

That was the "View From The Other Sideline" for the Cowboys. The opposing coach or scout also wrote about Terrell Owens:

"That's a big signing because he'll make a significant difference in their run game, too. It's a good chemistry mix because he'll help [Drew] Bledsoe. You've got to know where he is on the field. He's a game changer. He'll win all the contested balls. He can run away from you. The only thing that hurts him is his mouth. I don't think it will be a problem as long as he feels he's an integral part of the offense. It will become a problem if Bledsoe isn't giving him his share of balls. If [Bill] Parcells is smart, like I know he is, he'll make sure T.O. gets his touches."

They have DeMarcus Ware as listed "On The Rise" and say: "Eight sacks as a rookie and has only scratched the surface."

Predictions:
They have Dallas listed as first in the NFC East. NY second, Washington third, and Philly fourth.

NFC: Carolina over Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.
AFC: Denver over Indy in the AFC Championship Game.
Super Bowl: Carolina over Denver

Their Power Rankings for Dallas listed on a scale of 1 to 5:

Offensive line: 3
Quarterbacks: 3
Running Backs: 3
Receivers: 5
Defensive Line: 4
Linebackers: 4
Secondary: 3
Special Teams: 3
Management: 4

For NY:
Offensive line: 3
Quarterbacks: 3
Running Backs: 5
Receivers: 4
Defensive Line: 4
Linebackers: 3
Secondary: 2
Special Teams: 3
Management: 4

For Washington:
Offensive line: 4
Quarterbacks: 3
Running Backs: 4
Receivers: 3
Defensive Line: 3
Linebackers: 4
Secondary: 4
Special Teams: 2
Management: 2

For Philly:
Offensive line: 3
Quarterbacks: 4
Running Backs: 3
Receivers: 1
Defensive Line: 3
Linebackers: 2
Secondary: 5
Special Teams: 2
Management: 3

They grade our draft as a B- and say: "This was not a flashy draft, but it could produce as many as four future starters."

For reference they grade our rival's drafts as:

NY - C
Washington - C (taking Campbell into consideration for this year's draft)
Philly - B+

Overall, a pretty good preseason magazine. Nice, glossy photo's. The best thing though, is getting to read what opposing coach's and scouts have to say about each team and a player on that team. Pretty interesting.

 

[AsthmaField]

Regardless, coaches and scouts have been known to be just as wrong as fans. Just not as frequently. Which is why coaches still get fired for not winning games, and scouts get fired for busts in the draft.

That's true. Speaking for myself though, I enjoy reading the coach's and scouts comments much more than simply that of a beat writer. They're more connected and typically closer to right than the writers.

 

[tyke1doe]

They weren't a playoff team?

Um, not only did they whip our butts, but they made the playoffs and then beat the Tampa Bay Bucs at home. And they should have beat the Seahawks (or put them in a serious bind had Carlos Rogers intercepted that ball and taken it the distance).

You guys, and this coach, seriously underestimate the Skins and Gibbs' ability to take bits and pieces from other teams and mold them into a winning unit.

The two wins over the Cowboys was not a fluke. The Skins are a better team than the Boyz until we beat them.

The Boyz have more talent than the Skins, IMO, but I don't know whether Parcells is as good a game strategist as Gibbs. We'll see.

 

[tyke1doe]

Ok ok...you make a team with people who have heart and desire and ill make a team with the worlds best skills and talent and we will see who would win....wait a min didn't that happen in 1993...1994...1996?

So which team was more talented last year, the Skins or the Cowboys?

 

[MossBurner]

No matter what anyone says about Carter, Archuleta, Randle El, and Lloyd - they are major upgrades over the players they replaced!

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Thanks, **.

One question: I'm no expert on Al Saunders and certainly don't know as much as this scout/coach, but I thought Saunders and Gibbs were from the same coaching tree (Don Coryell) and had very similar offenses... This is the first I've heard about there being any possible difficulties in the transition with Saunders coming in. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Also, I'm sure that -- like here with Parcells -- Saunders will adapt his offense to include H-backs or whatever else Gibbs wants. After all, Gibbs is still the boss.

 

[Gamebreaker]

They weren't a playoff team?

Yeah, that comment made me wonder exactly who that scout/coach was. The point of Street & Smith using a coach or scouts opinion was to get detail and objectivity on each team. You don't sound very objective by saying a team, who beat another playoff team and played competitively aganist the conference representative in the superbowl, really wasn't a playoff team at all.

His opinion remains valid because of his position, yet they could've found a more objective scout/coach IMO.

 

[MossBurner]

I found the Al Saunders comment interesting, about how his offense takes two years to start clicking. To me, that's a comment of real substance and not just an undeserved jab.

I saw a stat on NFL network the other day. Saunders' offense was at least in the top 6 every year he was coordinator in KC (4 or 5 years). It caught on the first season there.